Approaches to Professional Nursing Practice/Learning Guide – Spring 2016

2.6 Assessment details
Assessment 1: Critical reflection essay
Weighting: 30%
Word count: 1000 words (800 word essay + 200 word personal reflection)
Due Date: Week 4, 8th August 2016 at 5pm
Submission details: Refer to Submission Reguirements (p.16)
Marking Criteria and Standards: See pages 9-11
Aim of assessment
Standard 1 ofthe NMBA Registered Nurse Standards for Practice outlines the requirement for nurses to
use best available evidence for safe. quality practice and to develop that practice through reflection on
experiences, knowledge, actions, feelings and beliefs. The aim of this essay is for students to discuss the
role of critical reflection in coniunction with sources of evidence that nurses might use to ensure that their
practice is based on evidence.
Details
Students will write an appropriately structured essay that includes the following:

Discussion of the benefits for patients, nurses and the profession as a whole when nurses
regularly and effectively reflect on their practice. In your discussion, make specific reference to
the NMBA codes and guidelines.

0 Identification and discussion of the sources nurses might use to obtain evidence on which to
base practice.

Discussion of the role of critical reflection in assisting nurses to base their practice on evidence.

0 After the essay conclusion, but before the reference list, students will include their own critical
reflection. Using the Gibbs Cycle (or another appropriate reflection framework), reflect on a
specific nursing-related learning event at university, clearly identifying your feelings arising from
that event, your new knowledge, what areas require further development and how you might
pursue that development (200 words).

In line with academic writing guidelines, the essay is to be written impersonally in third person,
but students may write the critical reflection in first person.

Students should note that they cannot reference a personal reflective statement about how they
felt, any actions they took or decisions they made. However, if they refer to the concepts and
theories of other authors to inform their reflection processes (eg, the Gibbs Cycle), that
discussion must be referenced in accordance with APA 6th Ed. referencing style.

There is a word iimit of 1000 (800 + 200) words. Use your computer to total the number of words used in
your assignment. However, do not include the reference list at the end of your assignment in the word
count. In-text citations will be included in the additional 10% word count. If you exceed the word limit by
more than 10% the marker will stop marking at 1000 words plus 10%.
Resources
i. Examples may be available on the vUWS site.
ii. There are a number of textbooks and resources available through the Western Sydney University
Library that may assist you. Please refer to the unit’s vUWS site for specific unit resources

iii. Please review the flyers available in vUWS, particularly the EBP and critical reflection flyers.
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